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Kate Middleton and Prince William settled on a choice of school for their son, Prince George, after a long-standing debate between Eton, Marlborough College, and St Edward’s School in Oxford. For years, the Prince and Princess of Wales have reportedly disagreed over the choice of school for their soon-to-be 12-year-old son, George, who would soon attain the ideal secondary school age. According to insiders, while the Princess has always insisted on having her son attend Malborough College, her alma Mater, which is a co-ed school, Prince William remains insistent on having the youngster attend Eton College, where he and his brother Prince Harry attended as kids, as did their late mom, Princess Diana’s brothers and dad before them.
Kate believes having her son attend Malborough would keep him close to home, rather than follow the traditional royal precedence of sending kids off to boarding school, away from the warmth of their parents. Additionally, the school would also enable George’s sister, Princess Charlotte, to join him soon in Malborough, keeping the siblings close and cutting costs on multiple security arrangements. However, after several debates and looking into each of the potential schools on the lineup, Kate Middleton and Prince William have reportedly concluded on Eton, the single-sex boarding school, as the ideal option.
Kate Middleton and Prince William to Send George Off to Eton
Speaking to Mail on Sunday, a source revealed that “all roads lead to Eton.” According to the source, the royals and Eton remain tight-lipped about their decision as the young lad doesn’t leave just yet. However, the insider was positive the decision had been made given the “smugness” around Eton College concerning an upcoming announcement. The source believes this announcement has to do with Prince George’s enrollment since it came up right after Prince William and Kate Middleton visited Eton. The insider divulged,
“It was like, ‘I know something and the people at Eton know something, but I’m not going to tell you.’ That was after William and Kate visited Eton.”
Prince William and Kate Middleton’s final decision to send George off to Eton College comes after the young prince’s school, Lambrook, in Berkshire, encountered a sexual assault incident. According to reports, two pupils of the prestigious school, attended by the three royal kids, were sexually assaulted by another pupil during a school trip. Neither Prince George nor his two siblings were involved in the scandal, but the school’s reputation took a nosedive after the horifying reports hit the tabloids. Sources believe Kate and William did not know about the incident at the time of reporting; hence, it is unlikely to have influenced their hasty decision.
Why Kate and William Reportedly Opted for Eton College
Their decision to resolve George’s educational future around the same time most likely stemmed from the need to secure his admission before the deadline lapses. According to the school’s policies, while students generally are aged between 13 and 18, registration had to be done before June 30 of the school year when the potential student turns 10. Failure to meet this timeline would necessitate the boy exploring the scholarship route, or Sixth Form entry open in Year 8 and Year 11. By implication, Prince George, who turned 10 two years back, must have already successfully enrolled at Eton since then, with Kate and William keeping mum about it as they struggle to reach a final resolution on the subject.
This revelation comes months after reports that Prince William and Kate Middleton had failed to reach a conclusion between their two contending schools, Eton College and Marlborough College, for Prince George. The source claimed that after so many back and forth, the couple decided to reach a middle ground, settling for St. Edward’s School, which held the appeal of both Malborough and Eton for the couple. With this history of repeated change of hearts, and uncertainties, one can’t know fora fact which of these top contenders won the royal dispute until the Prince turns 13 next year. Fingers crossed!